My Winter Storm
by eternallydaydreaming
Summary: Companion piece to Paths We Follow and inspired by the flashfic prompt caught in a lie. See how the story really started with the original sin.


This fic was written for tumblr's flashfic's September theme – caught in a lie. Enjoy! See the author's note at the end.

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My Winter Storm

 _Come on! Pick up!_

At the speed he was pacing across his bedroom, you'd think Casey would have burned a hole through his rug. That wasn't important though. Hell, the whole room could catch fire and he wouldn't care. Nothing mattered and nothing will if April didn't pick up her phone!

"Hi! You've reached April O'Neil…."

"Goddammit!" He roared as he flung his phone against the wall, leaving a small dent in its wake. The phone bounced off his bed and fell through the gap between the mattress and the now blemished wall. Hunching over, his shoulders shuddered with each heaving breath. Sweat dripped down his face and the back of his neck despite his soul freezing over.

 _April, please just talk to me. This wasn't supposed to happen. It shouldn't end like this._

\- 2 hours earlier –

April sliced through the tomato, slowly…carefully, as if she will mutilate it if the cut wasn't absolutely straight. Casey watched her workmanship. She never settled for anything less than perfection. His own knife had stopped midway through the head of lettuce he was supposed to be chopping. Studying her Casey noted the loose strands of hair lightly brushing against her forehead. These days April opted to keep her hair down, allowing it to sweep across her freckled shoulders. Casey loved running his fingers through those strawberry strands but April insisted that securing her hair in the bun would guarantee none in their dinner. Though he reluctantly agreed to the conditions he must admit she looked magnificent with the messy bun. As he stared, his mind began tracing the outline of her contours. Her delicate jawline. The lobe of her ear that he loved to nibble on. The bun he couldn't wait to free from its constraints. Then his eyes trailed down to her plump breasts. A smirk pulled on the corner of his mouth.

"You know for a kunoichi you handle blades like an amateur."

The knife stopped. April turned her gaze, shooting a menacing glare at Casey but only succeeded in looking flirty instead of pissed off at the taunt. Knowing her attempt at being stern was failing, April resorted to the childish antic of sticking her tongue out in defiance. Casey grinned mischievously.

"Shouldn't stick your tongue out unless you're gonna use it," he teased.

April responded with a half-hearted towel whip to Casey's chest. He effortlessly caught it and quickly yanked April into his arms and planted a firm kiss on her soft lips. As they broke away, April gazed longingly into his eyes.

"I can't believe winter break has been passing so quickly. We only have a week left before you go back to Minnesota."

April's bottom lip pushed out into a pouty frown. Casey sure was going to miss those sweet lips…and their late night "quality time." He will miss her floral scented shampoo he loved inhaling like an intoxicant before falling asleep with April in his arms.

"At least we've been making the most of our time together," Casey replied while wagging his eyebrows suggestively.

April rolled her eyes. "You think you're such a Don Juan, don't ya?"

"You tell me. You're the one who keeps coming back for more."

Casey leaned in for another kiss and was rewarded a partially parted lips and a slight sweep of her tongue against his. As April broke from the kiss she flashed a sensuous glance and pulled out of Casey's embrace.

"Where are you going?" He half-whined as he watched the slow sway of April's hips as she turned toward the hallway.

April tilted her head slightly and winked. "I'll be back," she promised.

"But…"

"I'll be back," she reassured, blowing a kiss.

Casey's heart fluttered and his pants tightened as he watched her retreating form. While it sucked that they attended different universities, the long absence from each other definitely was rewarded with plenty of late night rendezvous. April's sexual appetite was insatiable. Then again who wouldn't be able to get enough of Casey Jones? He smirked at his self-proclaimed title of Sex God until he noticed the now neglected salad ingredients.

"May as well finish this up. I'm sure we'll be hungry later."

Casey picked up the knife and continued chopping up the head of lettuce. Focused on the task at hand, Casey was completely oblivious to April's soft footsteps approach behind him.

"Wha…what is this, Casey?"

The knife halted halfway through the lettuce. The tremble of her voice washed an ice cold wave over him. The warm, playful tease had completely dissipated. Afraid of what he was about to face, Casey cautiously turned around. Instead of April, Casey found himself face-to-face with his own cell phone. All color instantly drained from his face, leaving him paler than a ghost. There on the screen was a pretty brunette winking back at him. Puckered lips begged for wet kisses. One hand pulled her hair up in a sexy disheveled 'do while her other hand had slipped behind her lacy thong. Her creamy breasts hung exposed with nipples perked up. Casey's throat became drier than the Sahara. Against his better judgment, Casey peered around the phone and locked eyes on April's tear streaked face. Her blue eyes pleaded for "please don't let it be true."

"I…I can…it's not what you think…"

"Don't lie to me, Casey!"

How could he? It was impossible to lie to a psychic.

"April, please…she was just a drunken mistake. I was at a party…"

"Are…are you really trying to justify this?!" she demanded, shoving the phone back into his face. "Drunken mistakes don't say 'miss you.' They don't ask 'when will ya be back, baby?' How many drunken mistakes was she?!"

Casey flinched as the lightbulb exploded in the pendant lamp, raining shattered glass onto the kitchen island. Daring to face April, Casey found her eyes glazed over as tears continued to flow down her cheeks.

"April…I know I fucked up…but you're the only I love…"

Stepping forward, Casey attempted to embrace her, wanting to calm her enough to have a civilized discussion.

"No!"

With a flick of her wrist, Casey felt his feet lift off the floor. His back smashed against the wall. By the time his body landed hard on the ground, the apartment door slammed shut and Casey opened his eyes to find himself alone.

\- Present –

Sitting on the edge of his bed, Casey dug his fingers into his mess of black hair. His temples throbbed as he mulled over his actions, starting from that night of the party to his constant relapse in judgment to getting caught finally. He must have called April thirty times but she refused to answer. Will she even check any of her voicemails? Did he even deserve her acknowledgement? What was she doing now? Bitching about him to a friend? Sobbing into her pillow with a bottle of wine on her nightstand? Whatever she was doing, whatever she thought of him, he absolutely deserved every bit of it. He made a date with karma and deserved everything that was coming to him.

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This is a companion piece to The Paths We Follow so those who are following the fic know exactly what came next. If you're interested in reading further, Paths We Follow can be found under my account.


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